Although things didn't go quite as planned due to ALL the snow, we had a great Christmas. We headed to Iowa a day early in the hopes to beat the nasty weather. Good thing we did since the roads to Iowa and near my parent's house were messy and closed starting Christmas Eve. Without my Dad's old tractor, we would have been snowed in at their house. He cleared the driveway and the road at least three times so we could get to town while we were there. The drifts were taller than us in some places! Everyone agreed this was the most snow Avoca had ever had.
On Christmas Eve, we braved the blizzard and made it to church. There were actually quite a few dedicated church goers there and Father Frost was kind enough to keep the sermon short. Mom hosted dinner for Nick, Barb, Eric, Lex, Jason, Sara, Ian, and Maren. It was good although short to make sure they could get out of the drive and up the hill before the drifts came back.
We made it to Grandma and Grandpa Holtz's house Christmas Day as is the tradition, but unfortunately no one else could make it. We still had a nice, relaxing day and Lesley enjoyed opening her gifts and all the yummy food her Great-Grandma and Grandma made that day. Saturday we went to Aimee and Mike's house since Aimee was on-call for the holiday and even without snow, she wouldn't have been able to make it to Avoca. It was fun to spend the afternoon and evening with them and I think the girls' enjoyed their first Christmas together. We went back to G&G Holtz's on Sunday to see Connie, Dean, Megan, and Brian who finally got dug out of their house.
Lesley has gained a lot of confidence when it comes to walking. She almost always tries to get places on two feet and only occasionally gives up to crawl. Often she looks like a drunken sailor, or Frankenstein, but she's getting better. She had her first bloody nose after falling Sunday afternoon. She's pretty tough though and doesn't give up easily. She has also started shaking her head "no". We don't think she really understands but it's funny when you ask her a question and she shakes her head with a smile. Clapping is also a favorite of hers. While we were opening presents, she would get excited, clap her hands and bounce up and down. So cute!
More celebrating later this week...Uncle Nick's "Last" Birthday/New Year's party (he thinks when you turn 59, that's the end of birthdays) is Thursday night. We will open the Hoffmann family time capsule we put together in 1999. I can't remember what my predictions were, but it will be interesting to see who's predictions were right. Then the Hoffmann Christmas party is on Friday. I'm certain there will be the annual Cousin's Pull 'n Pass with the brown paper bags. :)
We hope everyone had a great Christmas and look forward to seeing photos and hearing about all the memories!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
A Pre-Christmas Gathering
This is a brief recap of our Christmas dinner with the Schieber's on Sunday night. Matt cooked a delicious meal and it was fun to spend the evening together.
"Is this one for me?"
"Oh, it's this one...."
"Wait a minute....is this a trick, you want me to rip the paper? Are you sure?"
"Okay, yeah. I can handle this. No problem."
"Daddy, you are taking forever!"
"I think I'm going to like this."
"Sweet, it has a door. And, TWO of every animal. This guy Noah knows how to play."
"Thanks Katie!"
"Now it's time for some dessert."
"Faster Katie, faster."
"Denise, Katie is too slow..."
"Is this one for me?"
"Oh, it's this one...."
"Wait a minute....is this a trick, you want me to rip the paper? Are you sure?"
"Okay, yeah. I can handle this. No problem."
"Daddy, you are taking forever!"
"I think I'm going to like this."
"Sweet, it has a door. And, TWO of every animal. This guy Noah knows how to play."
"Thanks Katie!"
"Now it's time for some dessert."
"Faster Katie, faster."
"Denise, Katie is too slow..."
Monday, December 21, 2009
"It didn't bleed....very much."
Lesley spent part of the day Sunday with Katie, Denise, and Mark. They helped decorate for Christmas at church, went to a baby shower for a church friend, and hung out at the Schieber's. As usual, Lesley had so much fun.
"Who is this Penelope Pine you speak of?"
"Katie, I think you should use this as your Christmas card?" :)
Lesley continues to get braver and braver on her feet. She tends to forget that she's not all that stable just yet. Just yesterday she started grabbing a toy, or a book, or whatever was handy, and would try to take off. Sometimes she makes it 3-5 steps, and sometimes she does not get anywhere. While playing with Katie, she attempted to walk away from the bookshelf but the bookshelf tried to attack her and she ended up with a scratched up, bloody nose. She even had a bruise on her forehead this morning when she woke up. Katie said, "It didn't bleed...very much."
"Charlie Brown, what do you see?"
"Evidence of my toughness. (It looks worse in person.)"
Here's a preview of tomorrow's post....
"Who is this Penelope Pine you speak of?"
"Katie, I think you should use this as your Christmas card?" :)
Lesley continues to get braver and braver on her feet. She tends to forget that she's not all that stable just yet. Just yesterday she started grabbing a toy, or a book, or whatever was handy, and would try to take off. Sometimes she makes it 3-5 steps, and sometimes she does not get anywhere. While playing with Katie, she attempted to walk away from the bookshelf but the bookshelf tried to attack her and she ended up with a scratched up, bloody nose. She even had a bruise on her forehead this morning when she woke up. Katie said, "It didn't bleed...very much."
"Charlie Brown, what do you see?"
"Evidence of my toughness. (It looks worse in person.)"
Here's a preview of tomorrow's post....
Saturday, December 19, 2009
What's Lesley been eating?
Not much. We were doing so good and now nothing. She doesn't like her green beans anymore, the mandarin oranges don't interest her, and even applesauce is a no go. I talked to the pediatrician about it last week and she gave me some ideas to try - fish sticks, grilled cheese, vegetables beef soups rinsed, mac and cheese, plain cooked noodles, scrambled eggs, etc. We tried the grilled cheese and it was hit.
We even picked up some new snacks to try. Gotta love Chef Gerber!
She now plays the "pick up game" with the food on her high chair. She drops a green bean over the side and leans over to see it. Mommy picks it up and throws it away. This is assuming Charlie Brown is not faster than Mommy. Then Lesley drops another green bean and the process starts over. Hmmmm....so much fun!
We are almost out of frozen milk so she's now getting a mix of formula and frozen milk until it's all gone. We want to help her tummy adjust before going to straight formula. Not sure how I feel about this yet. I had high hopes of giving her strictly mommy's milk until she was a year old, but things changed when the teeth made an appearance, the grueling pumping schedule got old, and Lesley lost interest in nursing altogether. But, I am thankful that she received mommy's milk for 41 solid weeks. That deserves a round of applause in my books. And, the pediatrician said to start giving her some whole milk at 11 months in a sippy cup so she is transitioned completely to whole milk by 12 months and possibly even done with the bottles.
Speaking of her age. Saturday she turned 40 weeks, 3 days old. You may wonder why that's a big deal, and it's really not. But it hit me that Lesley has now been outside my belly for as long as she was inside my belly. I delivered her at 40 weeks, 3 days gestation. Isn't that interesting to think about? (Only to a mom, right?:)
We had to cancel the playdate with Clara and her parent's last night. Bummer. Jason (and myself) got the flu or something yucky. We really, really don't want to pass that along. And, it's very clear to me why God did not give men the task of bearing and birthing babies. Man oh man, talk about a baby. We excited to move the end of January since we will be closer to Clara and hopefully have more chances to schedule playdates.
Someone doesn't want to nap
Guess who doesn't want to nap...I even tried reasoning with her, "Lesley, someday you'll wish you could nap during the day and you won't be able to so you better get them while you can."
And, I've tried threatening her, "Lesley, you can't go see your friend Clara later today if you don't get some rest."
And, yet, this is how I find her:
Notice I even offered Elmo to her thinking they could "nap" together. Still, no success. Better luck tomorrow?
And, let's cross our fingers we don't have another night like last night. She was very, very upset around midnight so I went in to try and calm her. As soon as I would pick her up, she'd lay her head on my shoulder and fall back asleep. But as soon as I'd put her back in the crib, she'd scream. This not normal for her and usually we only hear a little fussing or squeaks between 8pm and 5-5:30am...not last night, we were up with her until 2pm when she finally gave in. Possibly teething? All I know is that Mommy and Daddy need naps today even if Lesley doesn't think she needs one.
And, I've tried threatening her, "Lesley, you can't go see your friend Clara later today if you don't get some rest."
And, yet, this is how I find her:
Notice I even offered Elmo to her thinking they could "nap" together. Still, no success. Better luck tomorrow?
And, let's cross our fingers we don't have another night like last night. She was very, very upset around midnight so I went in to try and calm her. As soon as I would pick her up, she'd lay her head on my shoulder and fall back asleep. But as soon as I'd put her back in the crib, she'd scream. This not normal for her and usually we only hear a little fussing or squeaks between 8pm and 5-5:30am...not last night, we were up with her until 2pm when she finally gave in. Possibly teething? All I know is that Mommy and Daddy need naps today even if Lesley doesn't think she needs one.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Isn't it beautiful?
Our new house (pending inspections)...I'm in love and I can't wait to move in.
The window above the garage is the sunken sitting room connected to the master bedroom. Can you believe that, I will have a sitting room? Who would have thought?!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
9 month stats
Weight: 18 pounds, 14 ounces, 50th percentile
Height: 27.5 inches, 45th percentile
Head Circumfrance: 45.5 cm, 85th percentile (I think cm is how they measure the head, although I'm not entirely sure and the nurse didn't write down what unit of measure she used.)
She's fallen a bit in her weight since her last appointment but it's probably because she is so active and has been crawling for about 2 months now. Really, she's right in the middle so that seems perfect to me.
Lesley got her finger pricked to check her iron level, it was 11.4. All I know is that anything above 11 is good, and she can now start eating dairy, i.e. cheese, yogurt, etc. (I didn't mention to the doctor she's been eating cheese and yogurt for about a month already. Oops.) The doctor confirmed that Lesley's reaction to the strawberries was probably an allergic reaction. So, strawberries, along with honey, nuts including peanut butter, and shellfish are off limits for awhile. She also got her H1N1 booster shot. We should be all set for awhile and hopefully won't need to visit the doctor again until she's a year old.
Sorry, no photos tonight, just the stats. I've been a single mommy this week with Jason out of town and it's just so much harder to get snapshots when you have laundry to do, bottles to wash, a baby to keep happy, a house to keep in show condition, etc. He returns tomorrow so hopefully by this weekend we'll have more cute pics to share. And, we now have a contract on our house so no more showings right now. Yeah!
I'm exhausted so off to bed!
Height: 27.5 inches, 45th percentile
Head Circumfrance: 45.5 cm, 85th percentile (I think cm is how they measure the head, although I'm not entirely sure and the nurse didn't write down what unit of measure she used.)
She's fallen a bit in her weight since her last appointment but it's probably because she is so active and has been crawling for about 2 months now. Really, she's right in the middle so that seems perfect to me.
Lesley got her finger pricked to check her iron level, it was 11.4. All I know is that anything above 11 is good, and she can now start eating dairy, i.e. cheese, yogurt, etc. (I didn't mention to the doctor she's been eating cheese and yogurt for about a month already. Oops.) The doctor confirmed that Lesley's reaction to the strawberries was probably an allergic reaction. So, strawberries, along with honey, nuts including peanut butter, and shellfish are off limits for awhile. She also got her H1N1 booster shot. We should be all set for awhile and hopefully won't need to visit the doctor again until she's a year old.
Sorry, no photos tonight, just the stats. I've been a single mommy this week with Jason out of town and it's just so much harder to get snapshots when you have laundry to do, bottles to wash, a baby to keep happy, a house to keep in show condition, etc. He returns tomorrow so hopefully by this weekend we'll have more cute pics to share. And, we now have a contract on our house so no more showings right now. Yeah!
I'm exhausted so off to bed!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Miscellaneous Monday
Lesley thought it would be a good idea to crawl under her musical table.....until she got stuck Really, she just wanted to get mommy's books on the bookshelf. We will be happy when we can stop showing the house and her books can go back on the bottom shelf. She's just not quite ready for Nicholas Sparks yet.
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Jason is on another trip this week - to Irvine, California. Sprint just purchased Virgin Mobile and that combined with Boostmobile will now make up their prepaid phone service. Now they just need to figure out which people will be in which position and who will be reporting to who and working from what office. That's the reason for his trip, to meet a potential new boss.
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We have an offer on our house and are still in the negotiation phase as of right now, 9:41pm Monday night. The deadline for the potential buyer was 5pm today, but then he scheduled another showing between 6:30-7:30pm. They were still roaming the house when I got back from a trip to the mall to waste an hour. So, I had to drive around the neighborhood a couple times with Lesley asleep in the back.
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Why do the holidays have to be so stressful? And, why did we think putting our house on the market on Thanksgiving Day was a good idea? I mean seriously, we are crazy! But, we are planners and this timing fits into our financial goal of having a 20% downpayment and a competitive interest rate on a new mortgage. So, we are trudging forward (and hoping this dude makes up his mind one way or the other so we can either put an offer in on a house we've fallen in love with, or give up on that dream house for the time being.).
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I have been getting some GREAT Christmas cards with letters and photos. Thanks to all who have included us on their distribution list. Just a warning, there is no way I will be sending Christmas letters this year...I'm thinking Happy New Year's cards will be perfect.
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Lesley still continues to get better and better on her feet. At this point, she will cruise along furniture really well, but she quickly drops to her knees and crawls if she's trying to get somewhere fast. The walking without holding on is only when prompted. I think the true "she's walking" will be when she decides on her own to test the waters. But, let's not forget that the bet Jason and I had was merely that she would take at least 3 steps and be able to hold her balance at the end.
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I'm sure all new parent's know this, but you shouldn't feed strawberries to your children until they are at least 12 months old. I got another one of the dreaded calls from daycare today. Lesley had thrown up her entire lunch all over the crib about 30 minutes into her nap. I asked what she had for lunch - strawberries was one of the items. Immediately, red flag....not a good idea for any children and especially those with eczema. Chris felt awful, she knew strawberries shouldn't be given until the kids are a bit older, but she wasn't aware of the 12 month rule and she felt Lesley would be fine with the fruit since she's been eating so much different food lately. After the throwing up, Lesley then proceeded to have 2 diaper blowouts. Three changes of clothes in a matter of a couple hours! We monitored for rashes and any sign that Lesley was acting funny, and luckily there was nothing. I think her body just needed to get the strawberries out of her system and now she's as good as new...and won't be offered strawberries for a REALLY long time. Remember parents - no strawberries until after 12 months of age!!!!
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My good friend from college, Jamie, had a major heart surgery last week at the University of Michigan Medical School. She has always had blood pressure problems, difficulty breathing after mild exercise, or even going up just one flight of stairs, and gets very fatigued easily. I don't know all the details of the procedure, but it involved patching the aorta of some sort. Today she developed a blood clot in her leg which if untreated could move to her lungs, but if treated could counteract the 7 hour surgery she had last Tuesday. Please pray for Jamie , strength for her handle the pain, and healing for her lungs, heart, and blood vessels. She has developed a lot of fluid in her body, is struggling to breath without oxygen, and is feeling the aches and pains of such a major surgery. These are times when I wish I could live closer to my friends.
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Thanks for bearing with my miscellaneous post....
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Oh boy, here she goes...
Dear Lesley,
Month 9 already! This has been another great month for us. Lots going on…
One of Mommy’s favorite things this month is how you love to dance. It all started with Mommy’s minor addiction to “Dancing with the Stars”. We typically watched it both Monday and Tuesday nights and when you got fussy or needed a little extra attention since bedtime was approaching, we would practice our dancing. Our favorites were the ball room style dances. I must say, we were darn good and would give Donny a run for his money, although I think Mya would still beat us. In addition to all the dancing we did on Monday and Tuesday nights, you loved dancing with your musical table and also with the holiday decoration that sings “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”. So gosh darn cute when you start rocking and bouncing to the music, and then give out some of your cheesey smiles.
Speaking of smiles, you have earned the nickname the “cheese factory”. When we went to Omaha a few weeks back to hang out with Grandpa and Nana, Aunt Aimee, Uncle Mike, Lilly, and Uncle Andy, the photographer that took our family photos called you that and it has stuck. You are pretty much always ready to give out a smile or two or three. Thank you for making it contagious because we can’t help but smile when we see your sweet, yet goofy smile.
Daddy taught you to wave during a trip to Nana's (Grandma Nancy) house. You like to wave at people at the mall, at people at church, and at us when we drop you off or pick you up from daycare. Cute, cute, cute. You are quite fond of Nana now. You even showed a bit of jealousy when she was holding our cousin Megan. You crawled into Nana’s lap and tried to push Megan out. Let’s be try to be a little nicer, Lesley. Nana has enough love for everyone!
You still crawl all over the place and you are getting braver and braver each day. Just last night, on your 9 month birthday, you took 5 unassisted steps before falling. Mommy wins the bet with Daddy since he guessed January 15th and I guessed December 15th. I’m sure in another month you’ll have it down pat and we all over the place. Right now, you still like using the walker and taking the blocks out of it when you can.
You now say Dada all the time and even know who he is. If I ask you where Daddy is, you look at him and sometimes even point. We hear a lot of Hi Dad and just Dada. Maybe next month you can work on Mommy…I feel a little left out these days.
You now eat big people food most of the time. Baby food just isn’t your cup of tea. But that’s okay, you love green beans, mandarin oranges, bananas, cheese, yogurt, and cheerios. We keep trying new foods and it’s hit or miss, but we hope that at least offering things to you will eventually pay off.
We are gearing up for Christmas in a low key way. Since we are trying to sell the house, there are no Christmas decorations this year. I did find the cutest mini-tree that you love to play with. It’s something at least. You also got to meet Santa and told him you would like milk, toys, and a new house as gifts. Christmas this year will be fun with lots of traveling.
I’m sure the coming months will be just as good as the last 9 months, I just hope they don’t go by quite so quickly. We love with you with all our hearts and hope that this Christmas brings lots of memories for everyone.
Love,
Your Mama
Month 9 already! This has been another great month for us. Lots going on…
One of Mommy’s favorite things this month is how you love to dance. It all started with Mommy’s minor addiction to “Dancing with the Stars”. We typically watched it both Monday and Tuesday nights and when you got fussy or needed a little extra attention since bedtime was approaching, we would practice our dancing. Our favorites were the ball room style dances. I must say, we were darn good and would give Donny a run for his money, although I think Mya would still beat us. In addition to all the dancing we did on Monday and Tuesday nights, you loved dancing with your musical table and also with the holiday decoration that sings “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”. So gosh darn cute when you start rocking and bouncing to the music, and then give out some of your cheesey smiles.
Speaking of smiles, you have earned the nickname the “cheese factory”. When we went to Omaha a few weeks back to hang out with Grandpa and Nana, Aunt Aimee, Uncle Mike, Lilly, and Uncle Andy, the photographer that took our family photos called you that and it has stuck. You are pretty much always ready to give out a smile or two or three. Thank you for making it contagious because we can’t help but smile when we see your sweet, yet goofy smile.
Daddy taught you to wave during a trip to Nana's (Grandma Nancy) house. You like to wave at people at the mall, at people at church, and at us when we drop you off or pick you up from daycare. Cute, cute, cute. You are quite fond of Nana now. You even showed a bit of jealousy when she was holding our cousin Megan. You crawled into Nana’s lap and tried to push Megan out. Let’s be try to be a little nicer, Lesley. Nana has enough love for everyone!
You still crawl all over the place and you are getting braver and braver each day. Just last night, on your 9 month birthday, you took 5 unassisted steps before falling. Mommy wins the bet with Daddy since he guessed January 15th and I guessed December 15th. I’m sure in another month you’ll have it down pat and we all over the place. Right now, you still like using the walker and taking the blocks out of it when you can.
You now say Dada all the time and even know who he is. If I ask you where Daddy is, you look at him and sometimes even point. We hear a lot of Hi Dad and just Dada. Maybe next month you can work on Mommy…I feel a little left out these days.
You now eat big people food most of the time. Baby food just isn’t your cup of tea. But that’s okay, you love green beans, mandarin oranges, bananas, cheese, yogurt, and cheerios. We keep trying new foods and it’s hit or miss, but we hope that at least offering things to you will eventually pay off.
We are gearing up for Christmas in a low key way. Since we are trying to sell the house, there are no Christmas decorations this year. I did find the cutest mini-tree that you love to play with. It’s something at least. You also got to meet Santa and told him you would like milk, toys, and a new house as gifts. Christmas this year will be fun with lots of traveling.
I’m sure the coming months will be just as good as the last 9 months, I just hope they don’t go by quite so quickly. We love with you with all our hearts and hope that this Christmas brings lots of memories for everyone.
Love,
Your Mama
Friday, December 11, 2009
Dear Santa
Dear Santa,
I am so glad I got to meet you today. What a nice beard you have!
Like I was telling you earlier today, I would like some milk, some toys and a new house for Christmas. I have been a good girl, but just in case you have talked to Mommy and Daddy, I promise I will try harder. As an example, I will refrain from pulling on the computer cords, I will go directly to bed after my nighttime bottle instead of crawling around like a mad woman, and I will not wake up for my morning bottle until 6:30 at the earliest.
I hope to see you (or at least what you leave behind for good little children) in a couple weeks!
Love,
Lesley
P.S. I took FIVE unassisted steps today without falling! That's pretty good for it only being my 9 month birthday.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
It's beginning to look a LITTLE like Christmas
With the house for sale and showings on and off, we decided to not put any Christmas decorations up this year. It some what makes me sad since it is Lesley's first Christmas but on the other hand, it makes things so. much. easier. And, the a Christmas tree would have made our already smallish living room even smaller. We need potential buyers to think big!!! Plus, I am certain Miss Investigator would have loved the Christmas tree, and pulling ornaments off and unwrapping gifts underneath too.
I decided she still needs to have a tree so I picked a one foot mini tree up at a craft store for $2. Lesley's first tree!
She carried this tree around for quite sometime. No ornaments though...maybe next year.
The following video cracks me up. This was a random holiday decoration I got at a silent auction a few years back. I really just wanted the other items in the basket, but this *cough* annoying *cough* decoration came with the package. Lesley absolutely loves it!
"
We've been struggling to get Lesley to eat food in the evenings. She does great at daycare, but is just not interested at night. We decided to skip the baby food and just start giving her pieces of grown up food. She ate and ate and ate green beans and mandarin oranges last night and tonight. It was amazing how much she ate! So, no more jars of baby food for us. This big girl wants to feed herself.
"Here Charlie Brown, I'll share my green beans with you."
I decided she still needs to have a tree so I picked a one foot mini tree up at a craft store for $2. Lesley's first tree!
She carried this tree around for quite sometime. No ornaments though...maybe next year.
The following video cracks me up. This was a random holiday decoration I got at a silent auction a few years back. I really just wanted the other items in the basket, but this *cough* annoying *cough* decoration came with the package. Lesley absolutely loves it!
"
We've been struggling to get Lesley to eat food in the evenings. She does great at daycare, but is just not interested at night. We decided to skip the baby food and just start giving her pieces of grown up food. She ate and ate and ate green beans and mandarin oranges last night and tonight. It was amazing how much she ate! So, no more jars of baby food for us. This big girl wants to feed herself.
"Here Charlie Brown, I'll share my green beans with you."
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Practice Makes Perfect
No, she's not walking yet...but she has perfected her Miss America wave. :)
Lesley thinks she should wave at everyone now. We went walking at the mall and she waved non-stop. At church, we sit at the end of the pew on the outside so after people go to communion, they all walk past us. Lesley was thrilled when people would wave at her and she could wave back. We still get waves when we drop her off at Chris's and Chris gets a big wave when we are leaving in the afternoons.
I also have to admit that Lesley's first real word is "Daddy". If you ask her where Daddy is, she turns and looks at Jason and sometimes even points. She also says "Dada" when looking at him and typically throws in a "Hi Dad" when he walks past or comes in the room. If you ask her where Mommy is, she just has this blank stare. We need to work on that kiddo!
As you can see from the photo above, she can successfully feed herself milk now. Actually she prefers holding the bottle herself most of the time. I guess that's good and bad.
She's still a mommy's girl though and prefers me when she's hungry or tired. And, she typically goes to sleep better when I read her the books and rock her at night. So, hopefully soon she'll be able to associate "Mommy" with me.
I got lazy and didn't want to download more photos from the camera tonight. Sorry, but there will be more in the coming days.
Lesley thinks she should wave at everyone now. We went walking at the mall and she waved non-stop. At church, we sit at the end of the pew on the outside so after people go to communion, they all walk past us. Lesley was thrilled when people would wave at her and she could wave back. We still get waves when we drop her off at Chris's and Chris gets a big wave when we are leaving in the afternoons.
I also have to admit that Lesley's first real word is "Daddy". If you ask her where Daddy is, she turns and looks at Jason and sometimes even points. She also says "Dada" when looking at him and typically throws in a "Hi Dad" when he walks past or comes in the room. If you ask her where Mommy is, she just has this blank stare. We need to work on that kiddo!
As you can see from the photo above, she can successfully feed herself milk now. Actually she prefers holding the bottle herself most of the time. I guess that's good and bad.
She's still a mommy's girl though and prefers me when she's hungry or tired. And, she typically goes to sleep better when I read her the books and rock her at night. So, hopefully soon she'll be able to associate "Mommy" with me.
I got lazy and didn't want to download more photos from the camera tonight. Sorry, but there will be more in the coming days.
Monday, December 7, 2009
It was a goofy kind of night...
The last few nights, Lesley has gotten a second wind after her nighttime bottle and needs some extra time to wind down before getting in the crib. The best way to accomplish this -- get on the floor with her and crawl around until she wears out...Or until Mommy and Daddy get tired. She now does this funny thing where she starts panting and breathing heavy when she's making her way across the floor, like it's so much work. As soon as she gets to where she's going, it's back to normal breathing and smiles. It's pretty darn funny if you ask us.
With all the cleaning and organizing that we've been doing, I not only found her magic wand but also these old glasses Aimee, Andy, and I used to have. She thought it was pretty cool to try them on. The greens ones were her favorite. :)
What a silly family!
With all the cleaning and organizing that we've been doing, I not only found her magic wand but also these old glasses Aimee, Andy, and I used to have. She thought it was pretty cool to try them on. The greens ones were her favorite. :)
What a silly family!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Abracadabra
"Daddy, I really want to let go. If I promise not to cry too much when I fall, can I?"
"Ok, here goes..."
"Well, that didn't work like I had envisioned."
"Maybe a little magic will help...."
"Abracadabra....and, I'm still crawling. Bummer."
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Cookie Day
Lesley and I joined Aunt Denise, Katie, and Kim (Matt's girlfriend) to bake some tasty holiday cookies today. It was good timing since we had to be out of the house for some showings anyway. Growing up, I remember many cookie baking days with my aunts from the Holtz side of the family. After I started college, it was impossible to make it back in time for the baking day. So, for the past few years, it has been a tradition for me to join Katie and Denise for a mini-version of the Holtz's day. Lesley had fun today as well...so much fun, she didn't want to nap and therefore ended up in bed for the night (fingers crossed) at 6:45pm.
Lesley spent some time in the play pen. She was a good baby all day!
"Katie, these elephant ears are mommy's favorite. Let's try to make them just like Nana." (We've decided to call my mom Nana instead of Grandma Nancy. Grandma Nancy is just too long, and Nana seemed like a good shortened version.)
Break time to say hi to Duke. The back door will have Duke kisses on the outside and Lesley kisses on the inside.
Lesley: "Aunt Denise, the peanut butter bon-bons are my Daddy's favorite. I better try one just to make sure they taste okay."
Denise: "Nice try, but not a chance, babies can't have peanut butter...you better stick with your banana."
I'm like Lesley and I think I might go to bed early too. We are both still fighting a cold/cough and my nights have been a little restless.
What a good day at the Schieber's! Thanks for inviting us.
Lesley spent some time in the play pen. She was a good baby all day!
"Katie, these elephant ears are mommy's favorite. Let's try to make them just like Nana." (We've decided to call my mom Nana instead of Grandma Nancy. Grandma Nancy is just too long, and Nana seemed like a good shortened version.)
Break time to say hi to Duke. The back door will have Duke kisses on the outside and Lesley kisses on the inside.
Lesley: "Aunt Denise, the peanut butter bon-bons are my Daddy's favorite. I better try one just to make sure they taste okay."
Denise: "Nice try, but not a chance, babies can't have peanut butter...you better stick with your banana."
I'm like Lesley and I think I might go to bed early too. We are both still fighting a cold/cough and my nights have been a little restless.
What a good day at the Schieber's! Thanks for inviting us.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Future Miss America
Lesley learned to wave over the weekend. We get a lot of waves now. My favorite is when I drop her off at daycare and get a big, cheesy smile with flailing arms. I told her we need to work on her technique before she competes for Miss America. :) (Daddy says no way!)
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
For Sale!
"Certified Home on Beautiful Tree-Lined Street! Immaculate, updated home w/ hardwoods thruout the main floor, new int paint, remod bathroom, newer kitchen appl & hrdwr, new lighting and plumbing fixtures, maint-free vinyl siding, newer roof. Gorgeous backyard. Light & bright finished bsmt w/new windows. INSPECTED, CORRECTED & WARRANTY PROTECTED!"
Check out our listing!
All that cleaning, organizing and decluttering was for a reason. We have decided to sell our house now and not wait until next summer. I must say that the place looks amazing. The storage unit is pretty full of the excess, but that's okay...we plan to move to a bigger place.
The inspector came last Wednesday so we are hopefully a step ahead of any potential buyers. Jason has been working on a handful of fixes this week. We also had a professional "stager" come yesterday and she rearranged our furniture, artwork, pictures, toys, books, and even bath towels. The place is ready, now we just need serious buyers.
And a random photo...
This has nothing to do with the house being for sale, but it was too cute not to post. Lesley thought it was funny when I put Shamrock on her walker and she could push him around.
Check out our listing!
All that cleaning, organizing and decluttering was for a reason. We have decided to sell our house now and not wait until next summer. I must say that the place looks amazing. The storage unit is pretty full of the excess, but that's okay...we plan to move to a bigger place.
The inspector came last Wednesday so we are hopefully a step ahead of any potential buyers. Jason has been working on a handful of fixes this week. We also had a professional "stager" come yesterday and she rearranged our furniture, artwork, pictures, toys, books, and even bath towels. The place is ready, now we just need serious buyers.
And a random photo...
This has nothing to do with the house being for sale, but it was too cute not to post. Lesley thought it was funny when I put Shamrock on her walker and she could push him around.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Inmate #617298-538
This is one of the cutest outfits I've purchased for Lesley. The morning we went to Omaha a few weeks back I was going up and down the stairs loading the car for our trip and Lesley wanted to help so badly. She sat at the top of stairs and made me smile every time I got to the baby gate. My "Little Lady" looked like a prisoner.
Another cute story from this past weekend is that Lesley continues to have jealousy issues. She used to just get upset when I would hold Lilly, or if another baby/kid was sitting in my lap. Saturday night my cousin Megan was sitting in my mom's lap when Lesley turned around and saw them. She quickly scampered over to my mom, forced her way into my mom's lap, and pushed Megan aside. What a jealous little ladybug! Luckily for Lesley, Megan is a tolerable little 5 year old and was gracious not to fight back.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Gobble, Gobble
So much family, festivities and fun this Thanksgiving! Here are a few photos of all the action:
Lesley and Mommy before Thanksgiving Lunch at Granny's...nice face in the background Steven.
"Hold on tight Lilly, I'm a crazy driver!"
"You too Lesley, I tend to tumble over when I try to walk."
Abby's laser tag team at Aunt Denise's after the Thanksgiving meal. We SO should have won...I mean seriously, Hannah, Ryan, Jackie, Cassie, and my Dad are so intimidating.
Oh wait, this photo sums up why we didn't win. Come on team! I told you to spread out....And look here, Hannah, Ryan, and Cassie are hiding behind me who is hiding behind the tree. I think we at least got Mark! Soldier down!
Dad, I think you are too old to be pulling those moves. I'm pretty sure Eric got you!
Clip-clop returns! Aimee, Andy, and I rode Clip-clop for hours and hours while growing up. Now, the girls are having fun with the horsey. Giddy-up!
We went for a walk down by the river. Well, most of us walked but we had to take a four-wheeler too since those babies are heavy after awhile. As usual, the girls loved it.
Lesley got to meet her second cousins Cassie and Harrison. She loved Cassie!
Cheese! Lesley enjoyed playing with all Aunt Denise's holiday bears, turkeys, pilgrims, etc.
"Lilly, we said take the toys out of the basket, not get in the basket with the toys."
Lesley hanging out with her second cousin Steven. Not sure why she felt the need to pull her shirt up.
Eating lunch in Daddy's old high chair. She enjoyed turkey, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and stuffing. We've decided to stop buying baby food since she refuses to eat it and would much prefer eating "big people" food. Today, my dad would put food on her spoon and she would feed herself. She actually did pretty well although she did manage to get sweet potatoes on the window and floor. Tonight, she insisted on having a spoon she could use while I fed her yogurt and applesauce.
The girl's played outside for quite a while over the weekend. The weather was pretty nice so we wanted to take advantage of the sun!
We had a great weekend and enjoyed seeing so much family. Oh, and the food was great as usual. Lesley and Mommy are now fighting colds which is not fun. Hopefully it will only be a few days before we are healthy again.
Lesley and Mommy before Thanksgiving Lunch at Granny's...nice face in the background Steven.
"Hold on tight Lilly, I'm a crazy driver!"
"You too Lesley, I tend to tumble over when I try to walk."
Abby's laser tag team at Aunt Denise's after the Thanksgiving meal. We SO should have won...I mean seriously, Hannah, Ryan, Jackie, Cassie, and my Dad are so intimidating.
Oh wait, this photo sums up why we didn't win. Come on team! I told you to spread out....And look here, Hannah, Ryan, and Cassie are hiding behind me who is hiding behind the tree. I think we at least got Mark! Soldier down!
Dad, I think you are too old to be pulling those moves. I'm pretty sure Eric got you!
Clip-clop returns! Aimee, Andy, and I rode Clip-clop for hours and hours while growing up. Now, the girls are having fun with the horsey. Giddy-up!
We went for a walk down by the river. Well, most of us walked but we had to take a four-wheeler too since those babies are heavy after awhile. As usual, the girls loved it.
Lesley got to meet her second cousins Cassie and Harrison. She loved Cassie!
Cheese! Lesley enjoyed playing with all Aunt Denise's holiday bears, turkeys, pilgrims, etc.
"Lilly, we said take the toys out of the basket, not get in the basket with the toys."
Lesley hanging out with her second cousin Steven. Not sure why she felt the need to pull her shirt up.
Eating lunch in Daddy's old high chair. She enjoyed turkey, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and stuffing. We've decided to stop buying baby food since she refuses to eat it and would much prefer eating "big people" food. Today, my dad would put food on her spoon and she would feed herself. She actually did pretty well although she did manage to get sweet potatoes on the window and floor. Tonight, she insisted on having a spoon she could use while I fed her yogurt and applesauce.
The girl's played outside for quite a while over the weekend. The weather was pretty nice so we wanted to take advantage of the sun!
We had a great weekend and enjoyed seeing so much family. Oh, and the food was great as usual. Lesley and Mommy are now fighting colds which is not fun. Hopefully it will only be a few days before we are healthy again.
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